Does your little one have a common cold? (Common Cold) - How to reduce this discomfort

As a mother or father, one of the things that saddens us the most is when our little one gets sick. It makes us very sad to see the discomfort our little one feels when they sneeze, runny nose, or cough. Don't worry , there is no instant cure for the common cold . There are many things we can do at home to reduce this discomfort and provide comfort to our child. Let's talk about it.

Step One: Let's Offer Relief

Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest. The most important thing is to make sure your child gets plenty of rest and drinks plenty of fluids .

When your child drinks extra fluids , it helps thin the mucus in his nose and throat. This makes it easier to drain. It also helps relieve a sore throat. Try different fluids like hot water, tea with lemon and honey (for children over a year old only), ice packs, or chicken soup. Even homemade coriander and ginger tea is great.

Also, adding steam to the baby's room is very helpful. If you can, use a cool mist humidifier in the room. Or, as we usually do, you can gently hold the steam over the baby. But be very careful not to burn the baby with hot water . Inhaling warm, moist air makes breathing easier and also provides relief to a dry, sore throat.

Is it good to give cold medicine to babies?

This is a question that many parents ask. Especially at night, when their child is uncomfortable, they wonder if it would be better to give them a cold syrup from the pharmacy. But the truth is, these medications have not been scientifically proven to provide much relief. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under the age of 6 not be given these types of over-the-counter cold medicines.

Often, these medicine bottles contain several ingredients mixed together. That is, they are designed to treat fever, cough, runny nose, and allergies all in one. Your child may not need all of these. Also, some medicines may also contain painkillers (e.g., paracetamol). If you don't read the label carefully, you may inadvertently give your child too much medicine (overdose).

What do decongestants do for nasal congestion?

We are very sad when our baby has a stuffy nose and is breathing through his mouth, making it difficult to breastfeed. There are several things we can do about this.

Saline Nose Drops: This is the safest and best method . You can buy these at the pharmacy. These are not chemicals , so there are no side effects. Even the smallest children can use them. Put a few drops of these in the child's nostrils, wait a while, and then use a nasal aspirator to remove the mucus from the nose. This will reduce the nasal congestion to a great extent.

Oral medications: Drugs like pseudoephedrine fall into this category. However, these can cause side effects such as hyperactivity and insomnia. Therefore, they are not recommended for use at bedtime. Also, their effects only last for a short period of time, about one to two hours.

Nose Sprays: Although sprays like Afrin are approved for use in children over 6 years of age, using these for more than 2-3 days can cause rebound congestion, so they are not recommended for children.

What to do for cough and sore throat?

Coughing is another annoying symptom of a cold. Let's see what we can do about it.

Cough Expectorants

Medications like Guaifenesin help thin mucus and help it come out more easily with a cough. However, if you give this medication, you should make sure your child drinks plenty of fluids. There is little strong scientific evidence to suggest that these chemical medications actually have any significant benefits.

A better natural expectorant is warm tea or water with honey and lemon . (Again, don't give honey to children under one year old.) This will reduce the pain and tickle in the throat.

Cough Suppressants

These medications work by stopping the cough. But this is not always the best solution. Think about it, coughing is a defense mechanism in our body. When we cough, the mucus in the lungs, along with the virus that caused the disease, comes out . If we stop coughing, that mucus can get stuck in the lungs and cause more infections.

Coughing at night can keep your child awake, but even then, it's better to give them fluids and keep the room humidified than to give them cough medicine.

Be careful of these things when giving medication.

If you are giving your child medication on the advice of your doctor, pay special attention to the following points. Let's look at this information in a table like this to make it easier to understand.

When do you need to see a doctor?

Most of the time, a child's cold will clear up on its own within a few days. However, sometimes this viral infection can be accompanied by a secondary bacterial infection. Be on the lookout for the following symptoms. If you have any of these, see a doctor immediately.

• Earache or fluid draining from the ear.
• Fever over 104°F (40°C), or fever lasting more than 6 days.
• A cold or cough that lasts more than 10 days.
• Blue discoloration of the skin, lips, or fingernails.
• Wheezing, rapid breathing, or difficulty breathing. In this case, go to a hospital's Emergency Department (ETU) immediately.
• Showing signs of dehydration (e.g., no urination for 12 hours, cold skin, dry, cracked lips).
• The child is extremely restless and cries uncontrollably.
• Difficulty waking up from sleep.
• Seizures.
• The fever-like symptoms subside, but after a few days the fever returns with a severe cough.

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